Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita received, Monday in Rabat, a bipartisan delegation of the U.S. Congress, led by the State of Colorado's Representative, Douglas Lamborn. In a statement to the press following this meeting, attended by U.S. Ambassador Puneet Talwar, Lamborn welcomed the ties between the U.S. and Morocco, expressing his appreciation that Morocco was the very first country in the «entire world to recognize the United States of America, more than 200 years ago». The Congressman welcomed the excellent exchanges held with Bourita, sharing the American delegation's desire to continue these discussions and to build on this «great friendship» and ties between the two countries. For his part, Representative David J. Trone recalled that Morocco is one of the oldest allies of the U.S., labeling it as a «beacon» in the Middle East. «We are so fortunate to have you as our partners», Maryland representative stressed, noting the importance of this visit to Morocco which brings Republicans and Democrats together to explore avenues for mutually beneficial relationships and promote cooperation between the Kingdom and the United States. Tackling tourism, Trone noted that this sector fosters direct interaction between peoples, namely with the launch of direct flights connecting Marrakech to American destinations, adding that similar connections from other Moroccan cities, such as Rabat, Casablanca, and Fes, are planned. The delegation of American Congressmen also includes Randy Weber from the State of Texas, Alexander Mooney from West Virginia, and Gregorio Lopez from Colorado.
